The GENES Blog (GEnealogy News and EventS): Top stories concerning ancestral research in Britain, Ireland, and their diasporas, from Irish born Scottish based professional family historian, author and tutor Chris Paton. Feel free to quote from this blog, but please credit The GENES Blog if you do so. To contact me please email chrismpaton @ outlook.com.

Pages

Thursday, 26 March 2015

More BMD records added to Ancestry Ireland for Antrim and Down

From the Ulster Historical Foundation (www.ancestryireland.com), news of new additions from Counties Antrim and Down, including for St Nicholas Church in my home town of Carrickfergus:

We are pleased to announce the addition to our online databases of over 27,000 new Church of Ireland records for Counties Antrim and Down!

These new baptism, marriage and burial records are from 24 parishes across Antrim and Down and were transcribed by our Emeritus Research Director, Dr Brian Trainor.

Name of Church

County

Type of record

Years covered

No. of entries

Aghalee CI

Antrim

Marriages

1811 – 1844

475

Ardkeen CI

Down

Burials

1746 – 1875

109

Ballinderry CI

Antrim

Marriages

1840 – 1845

40

Ballyclug CI

Antrim

Marriages

1841 – 1844

12

Ballyculter CI

Down

Burials

1812 – 1871

716

Ballyhalbert CI

Down

Burials

1855 – 1922

321

Ballymacarrett CI

Down

Marriages

1827 – 1844

112

Ballymoney CI

Antrim

Marriages

1807 – 1844

370

Ballyphilip CI

Down

Burials

1831 – 1883

428

Bangor CI

Down

Burials

1814 – 1829, 1841 – 1846

1912

Blaris (Lisburn) CI

Antrim

Burials

1661 – 1720

3220

Blaris (Lisburn) CI

Antrim

Marriages

1663 – 1735

1546

Carrickfergus CI

Antrim

Burials

1740 – 1870

3457

Comber CI

Down

Burials

1683 – 1881 (with gaps)

2807

Comber CI

Down

Marriages

1683 – 1845

845

Donaghadee CI

Down

Burials

1771 – 1786, 1817, 1818, 1820 – 1841

852

Down CI

Down

Burials

1752 – 1785, 1795 – 1829, 1837 –
1871

1450

Dromore CI

Down

Marriages

1784 – 1845

832

Drumballyroney CI

Down

Burials

1839 – 1873

39

Finvoy CI

Antrim

Marriages

1812 – 1845

241

Glenavy CI

Antrim

Marriages

1708 – 1845 (with gaps)

618

Inver (Larne) CI

Antrim

Baptisms

1806 – 1826, 1836 – 1864

1333

Inver (Larne) CI

Antrim

Marriages

1817 – 1845

51

Kilkeel CI

Down

Burials

1816 – 1884

778

Kilmore CI

Down

Burials

1822 – 1856

221

Kirkinriola (Ballymena) CI

Antrim

Marriages

1807, 1809, 1819, 1822, 1823 – 1841

131

Magheralin CI

Down

Burials

1783 – 1865

3818

Magheralin CI

Down

Marriages

1783 – 1845

545

These new records contain a wealth of information of use to both the family and local historian and the burial registers, in particular, are full of interesting entries.

For example in Ardkeen CI there was noted the burial entry of Henry Cleland, aged around four months old, in 1823 with a note by the minister that stated that he was “found dead in a field with a letter mentioning his name. Perished from cold and hunger; Coroner's inquest wilful murder.”

Occupations were sometimes recorded, especially if the deceased was in the military or the clergy. Ballyculter CI’s burial register occasionally contained the occupation of the deceased, particularly if they were servants, for example in 1818 Daniel Kain “Lord Bangor’s man”, William Wilson “gardener to Mr Price” and Roger Wade “steward to Mr Hoey” were all buried. This may be the only record of their employment which now exists.

Carrickfergus CI’s register contained an entry of the burial in May 1776 of Mr McCracken, “the buckle beggar”. A buckle beggar was someone who performed marriage ceremonies “in a clandestine and irregular manner”.

The history of a local area can also be seen through the Church records. For example one can see in the Blaris (Lisburn) CI register the arrival of the Duke of Schomberg’s army in September 1689 by the increase of the deceased who were serving in that army. These were not only soldiers, for example in December 1689 John Redbird “master baker to [the] Duke of Schomberg” died and in January 1690 Thomas Mansfield, “one of King William’s bakers” was buried.

In coastal parishes, we find the burial records of sailors, fishermen and those who had drowned. For example in Ballyhalbert CI, in January 1864 there was the burial of three men who were shipwrecked including John Morrison from Douglas on the Isle of Man. In this register we also find the burials of two men from the HM Cruiser Bayano which was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1915. Donaghadee CI’s burial register contains an entry for James Conlin, a tide-waiter (customs officer) who was “killed by a fall on the quay” in October 1783.

In the majority of entries the cause of death was not recorded, but unusual incidents were often noted by the minister. For example in Ballyphilip CI we find Patrick Kelly, aged 15 years from Portaferry who died in June 1876 from “a fall from a velocipede” (an early bicycle). Carrickfergus CI’s register details the burials of four men in October 1752 who were “killed with the bursting of a cannon”. Magheralin CI’s records contain an entry for Edward Lunn, an innkeeper who was buried in July 1817; he “died suddenly at Maze races”. Down CI’s burial register contains information on John McKenzie, the son of Prudence Coslett, who was buried in June 1765 after he “fell off the Abbey”.

In the majority of entries the cause of death was not recorded, but unusual incidents were often noted by the minister. For example in Ballyphilip CI we find Patrick Kelly, aged 15 years from Portaferry who died in June 1876 from “a fall from a velocipede” (an early bicycle). Carrickfergus CI’s register details the burials of four men in October 1752 who were “killed with the bursting of a cannon”. Magheralin CI’s records contain an entry for Edward Lunn, an innkeeper who was buried in July 1817; he “died suddenly at Maze races”. Down CI’s burial register contains information on John McKenzie, the son of Prudence Coslett, who was buried in June 1765 after he “fell off the Abbey”.

Many of the burial records also contain the name of the father, husband or next of kin of the deceased, providing additional information on each family. Some also record ages at death and occasionally occupations.